I have just purchased an '94 E-150 for my business. I currently have an '00 E-250. What is involved with beefing the 150 up..they both have a truckmount capet machine that weighs in at about 2500 lbs installed. Brakes? shocks? springs? any advice.

Thanks
dog

 

Its not too difficult to do the chassis.

The springs and shocks are easily changed. You will need an E250 rear axle and possibly a rear u-joint that can adapt the rear end to the 150 drive shaft. The drive shaft _may_ have to be shortened or otherwise modified. You will also need the front hubs and brakes. To make the brakes work correctly you will also need the E250 master cylinder because the E250 front brakes are dual piston calipers where the 150s are single piston calipers. If you have ABS this is going to be alot more difficult.

You will need the eight lug wheels and the appropriate "load range E" tires.

Do you know which transmission your van has? A '94 E150 will probably have an AODE but its possible it has an E4OD. The AODE is a pretty good transmission and might hold up fine under the load but the E4OD is what would have come in an E250. You do not want to try and change the transmission.

Steve

 

Clubwagon,
Thanks for the advice....I will concentrate on the rear end and front brakes to start....Found out a little more about it....It's a '96 not a '94 and it has the siarrghhh) not the eight....my 97 Expedition has the 5.4 so I already miss the power. Phoenix is relativly flat so it should be ok....but I will definatly need the suspension upgrade!!!!!

 

The six should be OK for around town, it makes almost as much torque as the 4.6. Where you really see the difference is if you spend any time on the interstate at speed.

If this van is a vanilla cargo van with the six it is very likely to have the E4OD transmission. That's the tranny that would come with the E250.

You should be fine swapping out the rear end, springs front hubs and brakes.

Steve